The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reports that roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted. These startling figures are a potent counterweight to the second SD goal of ending hunger. Wasteful countries are listening creating programmes to tackle is phenomenon. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 12.3 – FOOD WASTE By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses. The issue of food waste is being taken seriously in Europe with the EU various in-country initiatives tackling the problem. In Europe it’s estimated that around 88 million tonnes of food are wasted annually. REFRESH is an EU research project, and is taking action against food waste. Twenty six partners from 12 European countries and China are involved. The programme is backed by research to better understand the drivers of food waste, and the project supports better decision-making by industry and individual consumers. REFRESH believes that ‘the food resources being lost and wasted in Europe would be enough to feed all the hungry people in the world two times over. Together with moving to healthier diets, reducing food waste both in and out of the home is the most significant demand-side measure for reducing the carbon impact of the food system.’ eu-refresh.org In the UK the Courtauld Commitment 2025 is focussing on waste throughout the food supply chain and aims to cut the resources needed to provide food and drink by 20% in a decade....

It’s festival season and time for motivated waste warriors to done the high vis and get down to work. UpCycle provides the Eco-Rangers and the ExChange to British festivals. They work at festivals to engage the public in the complex issues surrounding waste and recycling through artistic and creative means. Beyond the festival experience UpCycle hopes to inspire more sustainable life choices through a greater awareness of our impact on the environment and our place within it. Source:...

It’s festival season and from my experience, music festivals and trash go hand in hand. Don’t get me wrong, the people that organize music festivals are definitely working towards making them more sustainable (there are now water refill stations, compostable dishware and flatware for food, composting to name a few innovations)… but whenever you gather thousands of people somewhere, there will probably be trash. The good news, you don’t need to contribute to that. You have a choice. Source:...

Glastonbury festival is one of the biggest festivals in the world. During the course of the festival around 2,000 tonnes of rubbish are generated. So what happens to it? This year the Glastonbury organisers hope to recycle more that 50% of it, and have a small army of volunteers on the job. The festival came and passed in a flash, but the rubbish mountains generated at the festival over five days of music and mud calls for a massive clean-up operation. Read more:...

Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) has beaten tough new targets to cut food and associated packaging waste and increase recycling in a UK-wide Hospitality and Food Service voluntary agreement. The agreement aims to cut food and associated packaging waste by 5% and increase the overall rate of food and packaging waste, which is being recycled, sent to anaerobic digestion or composted, up to 70% by 2015. Source:...

When it comes to eliminating waste at your event, a picture is worth a thousand words. Following are two examples of seriously simple, low- to no-cost ways to reduce event waste that anyone can accomplish. More quick tips by Shawna McKinley over at Event Manager Blog. Source:...

Despite their reputation for burning down large scale art, Burning Man is proud to be the largest practicing Leave No Trace event in the world, and continues to be recognised by the USA Bureau of Land Management for not only maintaining Leave No Trace standards, but for setting high standards by which other recreation events on the Black Rock Desert are measured. At the root of their success is the Burning Man community’s underlying principle of Leaving No Trace. At 53 000 participants and counting, Burning Man is proud to be the largest practicing Leave No Trace Event on public land. All participants, including artists, theme camps, outside services, government officials, and event infrastructure are required to clean up after themselves and leave no trace. Participants must remove from the event site, any matter out of place, known as ‘MOOP’, whether cigarette butts, boa feathers or even substances otherwise considered natural No garbage cans are provided and yet the event remains free and clear of rubbish. And that wouldn’t be possible without the concerted efforts of every last participant and their belief in the Leaving No Trace ethos. Leave No Trace commitment: “The Burning Man community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.” Additionally, the Burning Man community has made up their own word for litter known as moop, originally an acronym for Matter Out Of Place. MOOP (noun) Originally an acronym for Matter Out Of Place, meaning...

For the first time in 2014, the carbon emissions and waste footprint of the Grand Départ, the name given to the first three days, will be studied by the Carbon Trust and Leeds city council. The pair will produce a report into how these aspects are being managed, along with the long-term impact the event has on transport habits. The opening stage of the 101st Tour de France starts in Leeds on Saturday, with the question on most people’s lips being whether British hopeful Chris Froome can keep hold of the yellow jersey he won last year. But for those thinking about the environmental impact of the historic event, wonder no more. It is hoped that any recommendations for improvement will be able to be used at future sporting events in Yorkshire and elsewhere. Hugh Jones, managing director of advisory at the Carbon Trust, said, “The Tour de France is one of the world’s largest sporting events, reaching a worldwide television audience of 3.5 billion in 188 countries, and attracting 12 million spectators each year. “Through understanding and reducing the environmental impact of the Grand Départ, it is therefore possible not just to create a sustainable event, but to have a big influence with fans of cycling around the world.” The three-week race, which has been won by a British rider for two consecutive years, visits the UK for the first time since 2007. Starting in Leeds, participants will go through the Yorkshire Dales, York, Derbyshire, Sheffield, Cambridge and Essex, before finishing outside Buckingham Palace ahead of the first French leg on Tuesday. In total, the event covers 2,277...

When Brad Fey volunteered on Arts Fest’s trash crew with his Rotary Club, he was dismayed by the 75 tons of garbage it produced each year. As he filled dumpster after dumpster to the brim, Fey discovered most trash collected Arts Festival weekend could be recycled, or even composted, instead of simply deposited in a local landfill. “Paper cups, napkins all that stuff turns into soil after you compost it,” Fey said. “Going by experience of collecting trash at arts fest, that’s a lot of what is in the trash.” Fey recycles and composts at home. Since he started, he’s noticed a dramatic reduction in his family’s trash. He even threw his daughter a zero waste high school graduation party. With some changes, Fey thinks Arts Fest can eliminate waste altogether. He renamed “The Trash Crew,” “The Green Crew.” He’s branding the new initiative “Fest Zero.” This year, a recycling container will be next to every trash container. Compost bins will be placed strategically near food stands and on Allen Street, Fraser Street, and at the entrance to campus. “The choice will be easy. In future years, trash cans won’t be needed as much and will be more spread out,” Fey said. “But the composting and recycling will be the main cans.” Green Crew volunteers stationed near the bins will make sure people know where to put their waste. Other volunteers at an education booth downtown will discuss the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle. Joanne Shaffer from Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority says Fest Zero is changing the way Arts Fest looks at waste. “The real aim with...

This Memorial Day Weekend, Electronic Music Alliance (EMA) teams up with Sunset Music Festival to present PLANET SMF, a unique and fun on-site area for festival attendees to learn how to go green. Sunset Music Festival, Tampa’s premier music event and Electronic Music Alliance (EMA), the largest non-profit for dance music culture, have teamed up to create the first unique and interactive on-site space called Planet SMF. Planet SMF is a place for festival attendees to chill out and also learn about the environment’s health and sustainability through interactive exhibits and demonstrations such as an Aquaponic structure, Electronic Waste Art, and Urban Gardening. EMA has partnered with IDEAS, a Florida based sustainable living advocacy organization, which will also be providing educational resources and activities at Planet SMF. Additionally there will be craft stations, a Planet SMF bike that powers spin art onto old vinyl records and a free solar powered cell phone recharging station. Guests who participate in Planet SMF activities will have the opportunity to earn points and/or be entered into a raffle to win prizes including VIP tickets to SMF 2015. Activities will include a recyclable item Collection Challenge, and signing up to volunteer with EMA and IDEAS the following weekend for the Massive Action beach and waterway clean ups (held in several locations throughout Florida). Festival Attendees can also sign petitions and pledges, such as the EMA Responsible Party Pledge which can also be signed directly through the new SMF official app, EDMX. All day Saturday PLANET SMF will host special guest Ken Jordan, from the legendary electronic duo The Crystal Method and co-founder of EMA,...

Composting for sports organizations just got easier with the release of NRDC’s Guide to Composting at Sports Venues. This is the latest in a series of technically-informed ecological management tools provided by the NRDC Sports Project at no cost to sports venues looking to reduce their environmental footprints. Virtually all professional sports venues have already developed or are developing recycling programs, and more and more are looking to expand their programs through composting and other organics recycling. NRDC’s Guide to Composting at Sports Venues gives step-by-step advice on establishing or expanding organics recycling programs, starting from how to assess a facility’s existing waste infrastructure, to negotiating composting and hauling contracts, training staff, landing sponsorship, and involving fans in the initiative. The Guide also includes examples of sports organizations that are already reducing waste through composting and other initiatives, such as donation of unsold prepared food. For example, starting in the 2010–11 season, the National Hockey League established a league-wide initiative in which all 30 NHL teams committed to pack up unused prepared concession food on game nights for redistribution to local shelters and food banks. Since 2010, the league-wide food recovery program has diverted more than 300 tons of waste from landfills and incinerators and provided local shelters with more than 400,000 meals. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the NHL reduced greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 79 metric tons of carbon dioxide through this initiative. Although the amount it costs to dispose of waste in landfills varies across the country, many venues can achieve significant savings through composting, by reducing what they send to landfill waste....

THE AIM In 2013 Shambala Festival ran a hugely successful campaign to eliminate disposable plastics from the event. A combination of the Bring a Bottle campaign, where all attendees were asked to bring a re-usable bottle, banning the sale of bottled water, and using re-usable cups on all the bars, achieved a reduction of 10,000 bottles and over 100,000 cups being used once. The initiative had 93% audience approval rating, and caused a storm on social media. Our next step was to work with experts in the field to develop a strategy to disseminate knowledge and share leaning in the festival Industry. THE PROCESS Kambe Events worked with Raw Foundation, experts in materials science and campaigning, to develop Making waves: A Guide to Plastic Free Festivals. This 26 page guide with facts, tips and links was launched at the Green Events and Innovations Conference in 2014, and is now available online. Kambe and Raw Foundation are now offering consultancy, workshops, training and talks as part of a wider strategy to spread this initiative across the festival sector. You can download a free PDF of the guide HERE. This post was produced from this story :...

The NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee and the NFL are partnering with Verizon and the Broadway Green Alliance to collect and recycle electronic waste in New York and New Jersey. The host committee and the NFL say the e-waste recycling events are part of a series of sustainability initiatives aimed at “greening” the Super Bowl and making a positive environmental impact in New York and New Jersey. The first of two collections will take place in New Jersey on Jan. 7 from 10am to 2pm at the AnythingIT Fair Lawn Headquarters. On Jan. 8, a collection will take place in New York City at Duffy Square in Times Square from 10am to 2pm. AnythingIT, which is e-Stewards certified, is the electronics recycler for both events. Verizon says it has collected 1.5 million pounds of e-waste at similar events since the launch of its recycling rally program in 2009. Citing EPA figures, the NFL says the US generated more than 2.44 million tons and 3.4 million tons of e-waste in 2010 and 2011, respectively. In 2010, 19.6 percent of that year’s total e-waste was recycled, and in 2011, 24.6 percent of that year’s total e-waste was recycled. In 2010, 152 million mobile devices were disposed of in the US. The EPA has indicated that recycling as few as 1 million cellphones can recover 50 lbs. of gold, 550 lbs. of silver, 20 lbs. of palladium, and 20,000 lbs. of copper. An October UN report says treated e-waste can be put to profitable use, calling it a “gold mine” and saying printed circuit boards are probably the “richest ore stream you’re...

Super Bowl XLVIII dining will be the “greenest in history,” say MetLife Stadium and foodservice partner Delaware North Companies Sportservice. The partners have earned the title of first Certified Green Restaurant stadium from the Green Restaurant Association (GRA). With more than 200 on-site restaurants servicing up to 100,000 people in a day, this is the largest food service operation ever to receive this certification. The GRA worked with Delaware North Companies Sportservice to achieve 61 environmental measures at MetLife Stadium. Some of the green accomplishments include: All waste kitchen oil is being converted to biodiesel fuel Composting all kitchen scraps Donating all leftover food Recycling cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum, and paper Use of Energy Star equipment Installation of waterless urinals, touchless sensor faucets, 1/2 gallon faucet aerators, and low-water landscaping Eliminating all polystyrene foam containers William Lohr, Sportservice general manager, says earning this certification coupled with becoming ISO 14001 certified means the foodservice company will serve up the “greenest Super Bowl ever.” Last month the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee and the NFL announced a partnership with Verizon and the Broadway Green Alliance to collect and recycle electronic waste in New York and New Jersey as part of a series of sustainability initiatives aimed at “greening” the Super Bowl and making a positive environmental impact in the two states. This post was produced from this story :...

Two weeks before the New York Yankees opened their 111th baseball season, as Derek Jeter and his teammates were in Florida finishing up their spring training schedule, the Yankee’s vice president of Stadium Operations, Doug Behar, was out in California, attending a spring training session of his own. Instead of exhibition games and batting practice, Doug made the cross country trek to attend an all-day course exploring the intricacies of food scrap composting and more sustainable waste management practices. And while Jeter and company were enjoying the Tampa nightlife, Doug was hanging out with me and several of my NRDC colleagues, as well as trash experts from around the nation, at the annual conference of the Solid Waste Association of North America. This was not a glamour trip for Doug, an unpretentious gentleman with four World Series rings who is the behind-the-scenes captain of daily operations at the House that Ruth Built. Doug was at the Solid Waste Association conference for good reason—he and the team’s ownership are committed to making the Yankees major league leaders in environmental sustainability. At the day-long organics collection course, Doug listened carefully to discussions regarding the environmental benefits of keeping food scraps and yard trimmings separate from other refuse so that these organic materials can be used for compost and to produce clean bio-gas. He learned about the equipment used to collect organics most efficiently. And he participated in conversations regarding the best ways to communicate with the public to boost participation in composting programs. This course was hardly Doug’s first experience with environmental concepts. For several years, the Yankees have been implementing...